


I Like Me Better (When I'm With You)

by captainpororo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun being pouty, Do Kyungsoo is a tired student, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Waiting, Zhang Yixing owns a restaurant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 02:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17417309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainpororo/pseuds/captainpororo
Summary: It’s hard not to hear from Kyungsoo. He was always the quieter man in the relationship, but there’s only so much silence Baekhyun can endure.Or alternatively, Baekhyun waits for his home to come home.





	I Like Me Better (When I'm With You)

People ask Byun Baekhyun a lot of things. They ask him how his day is, what he’s doing, and what he does while he waits for the new semester. One of the many things that people ask him is how he got together with his boyfriend and now fiancé, Do Kyungsoo. It’s one of Baekhyun’s favorite things to share to people. In fact, Kyungsoo says Baekhyun might share that story way too many times, but if the way his little penguin of a fiancé’s arms tightens around his waist every time Baekhyun begins to relay the story, the young man knows his beau loves to hear it as much.

Even now, as he cuffs his jeans and fixes his hair for the umpteenth time in front of a mirror, he smiles as he converses with his cousin, Jongdae, over the phone. “Yes, of course, It’s the boy I brought home two chuseoks ago, you dimwit. Why on earth would I marry someone else?”

He hears laughter and an apology on the other line as he haphazardly grabs a coat from the rack and heads out his apartment.

“I don’t know, I mean, I noticed how much you liked him, but that guy just seemed so…”

“Appalled by my loudness?” Baekhyun quips, now unlocking his Mini cooper and stepping onto the vehicle, sliding his key into the ignition.

“Yeah,” his cousin replies. “I can’t see why a quiet man like him would stick with someone like _you_ for life, to be honest.”

“Kyungsoo and I have different personalities, Jongdae,” Baekhyun hums, plugging his phone onto the auxiliary chord as he straps himself into his seat and starts the engine.

“I noticed. Remember how he shrieked out loud when you introduced him to Eugene? Now, _that_ was hilarious. I swear I thought you guys would break up when Eugene ripped his shirt apart.”

 _Right,_ Baekhyun chuckles. He failed to mention to Kyungsoo that his family adores exotic animals, and have owned creatures ranging from a cockatoo, to a chinchilla, to a gecko, and back then, when he first introduced Kyungsoo to the Byun household, they just got a capuchin monkey named Eugene.

Kyungsoo ended up wearing Baekhyun’s old shirts and was grumpy throughout the evening, and Baekhyun had to console him by giving him loads of hugs and kisses.

 _Good old times_ , Baekhyun sighs. Now, he can’t even irritate Kyungsoo as much because Kyungsoo is nowhere to be found.

“It’s really a mystery how you guys stayed together all these years, Baek,” Jongdae says.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun replies, dazed from remembering the many months of separation and breakdowns he had with the love of his life. “It wasn’t easy, Dae. Trust me. Even now, it isn’t easy.”

Eventually, Jongdae gets tired of Baekhyun’s ramblings, and they hang up, promising to call again whenever possible. As the young man makes his way to a tiny hole in the wall restaurant he works in across town, he mulls over his cousin’s words and looks back to how things have changed across the years.

Upon arriving at the tiny Chinese diner, he waves at his boss, Yixing, through the glass window and peeks at his lock screen, where the words ‘D-197 before My Soo comes home’ is displayed. He shrugs the falling leaves off his shoulders, sparing a glance at the gradients of yellows, oranges, and reds adorning the trees on the sidewalk. How he wished time flew faster.

 “Well, well, well. Someone decided to not to be late today. Is it my birthday?” Chanyeol greets from the backdoor, mop in one hand and a bucket hanging from the other.

“That’s two months from now, and even if it was, I would probably take a day off,” Baekhyun snidely responds, as they pass each other, not missing the chance to step on his friend’s foot in the process.

“Yah, Byun Baekhyun!” Chanyeol screams, but Baekhyun quickly shuts the door behind him and heads to his favorite spot in all of Yixing’s 360 square meter property, the kitchen. Specifically, the noodle-making area in the kitchen, where he can pound, throw, flatten, and slice flour to all its noodly perfection three days a week.

“We’ve got four reservations tonight, Baekkie,” Yixing smiles, ruffling Baekhyun’s hair as he brings in Baekhyun’s favorite pink apron to him. “We’ve got something special at 10:00 tonight, or so I heard. Whatever it was, they ordered the King Crab Special, so you may have to work on that first. Work hard!”

Baekhyun makes an “o” with his mouth as he washes his hands. “King Crab? From the secret menu? What’s the occasion?”

Yixing only grins and shrugs, turning to the doorway with his signature smile when the doorway’s bell signals a new customer’s entry.

“I fucking love the King Crab Special,” Baekhyun whispers to himself as he gathers the ingredients for the special crab flour noodle. Just the thought of Minseok, the head chef, and his delicate King Crab masterpiece on top of savory noodles, hearty soup, and fresh sides makes Baekhyun’s mouth water. It’s their most expensive item, only known to loyal customers who were patrons of The China Sheep since it’s opening in 2012, when Yixing operating a tiny food truck, and not a spot of his own.

An hour later has Baekhyun carefully kneading dough for the delicate white noodle, head lost in memories of how he and Kyungsoo stumbled upon Yixing’s food truck for the first time, back when they were dating. Baek was only a freshman in college, and Kyungsoo a senior. It was a rainy night, and their fourth date, when both boys forgot to bring an umbrella. They sought refuge in a crowded bus stop, when Kyungsoo pointed at the lights adorning Yixing’s happy little truck.

The King Crab Special was still at the very end of the menu, and Kyungsoo ordered it for both of them, despite the fact that it probably cost him half of that day’s wage as a TA.

Baekhyun sighs. He misses Kyungsoo so much.

He tosses the dough between his fingertips, watching as it goes up, before catching it with ease. He was with Kyungsoo as well when Yixing first showed them how the noodles were made. Baekhyun was immediately captured by the process, and Kyungsoo had to beg Yixing to allow him to try it for himself. Who would have known that he would end up being really good friends with Yixing, even to the point of getting hired in the very place he ate years ago?

It was all because he had Kyungsoo beside him. As Kyungsoo spent his last semester working on his thesis and final requirements, Baekhyun worked on his cooking skills, learning from Yixing and some friends they’ve made along the way, like Chanyeol, Yixing’s first employee, and Minseok, Kyungsoo’s old roommate.

After Kyungsoo graduated, they moved in together, and for a while, life was perfect. Baekhyun woke up to Kyungsoo’s soft smile, and they spent most of their waking time reminding each other that all they ever needed was the other. 

That was till they both realized that Kyungsoo had a passion for learning, and it gleamed with each step he took. It wasn’t long before Kyungsoo would get busy with one symposium or another. He became an intern for an educational organization and would be gone for days on end. One time, he had to volunteer for a six-month trip, leaving Baekhyun alone during the cold winter.

It was difficult, watching the emotions unfold in Kyungsoo’s face when they received an envelope in the mail one day, and the words “Congratulations” adorned the top, along with “full scholarship”, “Master’s Progam” and “London” in them. Baekhyun remembers so much how he felt like someone struck his chest with a sharp rod when he saw the hesitation on Kyungsoo’s eyes as they locked gazes with each other. Like it happened yesterday, the image of him wrapping his fiancé into his arms and whispering “You’re amazing” over and over again to Kyungsoo comes back to Baekhyun. Nothing hurt more than knowing he was the reason for Kyungsoo’s hesitance to chase after his dreams. Nothing pained Baekhyun more than thinking he would hinder his Kyungsoo from being the best he can be.

So there Baekhyun found himself, four months later, hands balled into a fist and a solemn smile on his face as he bids Kyungsoo goodbye at LAX.

“You’re wonderful, Do Kyungsoo,” he whispers, when Kyungsoo holds him for the last time in a while. He shuts his eyes, willing himself not to cry when his lover presses kisses all over his face, peppering his pinkening cheeks with pecks as he whispers “Please, be okay, Baekhyunnie. Please be safe. Please wait for me. ”

“I will,” he whispers between kisses when he brings his mouth to Kyungsoo’s own.

And then, just like that, he watches Kyungsoo, in his midnight blue coat, turn around and walk onward towards the check-in gate. They share a gaze one more time, before Kyungsoo finally disappears into the crowd.

Only then did Baekhyun’s knees weaken as he sinks into the floor, with tears running down his cheeks. The lips that just adorned him and made him feel loved will be far, far, away. His home, his everything, has just left for the other side of the world.

 

That was eight months ago. It’s autumn now, Baekhyun’s third season without Kyungsoo. The dough in his hands are now flat and ready to be cut. He quickly walks towards the cutting machine, sliding the dough into it slowly, smoothly, and in consistent rhythm, like Yixing told him to. What comes out are small strips of white, just the perfect weight. Not too thick, not too thin.

 

At first, Kyungsoo was able to keep in touch with him. It didn’t seem like a big deal. They skyped, talked on Twitter, shared funny Snaps to each other on Snapchat, and talked on the phone for hours and hours into the night. Then, came the Evil Thing™ called academics. Once Kyungsoo’s semester started, he started having less and less time to go online. Sometimes, it would take him days to respond to one text from Baekhyun.

At this, Yixing and the others slowly began to express their worry. Many days found Baekhyun slumping against the kitchen wall, hand on his phone and frowning. It’s hard not to hear from Kyungsoo. He was always the quieter man in the relationship, but there’s only so much silence Baekhyun can endure.

“Baekhyunnie, I’m sorry,” says Kyungsoo from the computer screen. He has bags under his eyes, his hair is all over his face, which is extremely rare, since Kyungsoo is a neat man who hates being seen looking like a slob (which Baekhyun, on the contrary, is an expert on). The video feed is pixelated, but Baekhyun can see the exhaustion seeping from his fiancé. “It’s harder than I thought. Please don’t think I’m ignoring you.”

It took some time, but slowly, Baekhyun grew to accept the fact that Kyungsoo is now busy. Much busier than he was when they were merely hoobae and sunbae, and when Kyungsoo was working for the school while Baekhyun was struggling through sophomore year. Kyungsoo is busier than that time when he interned for a month, and way busier than that time he was away for half a year.

Baekhyun did not like it, not one bit. But what could he do?

He could only swallow thickly, reach out and try to touch Kyungsoo’s face from the screen of his laptop and muster his bravest, most behaved smile.

“I believe in you, Kyungsoo.”

The smile that blooms in Kyungsoo’s tired face and the words of his earnest affection warms Baekhyun’s chest for the rest of the week.

 

“Hey, you’ve been working for two hours straight,” a voice interrupts Baekhyun’s thought process, bringing him back to reality. He’s faced with Yixing, who has a plate full of dumplings on his hand. “Go eat these and take a break.”

Baekhyun glances at the wall clock on his right. Has he really been so concentrated that he worked till half past nine? He gratefully takes the plate and walks to the staff area, where he sees Chanyeol munching on a Subway sandwich, as usual. The tall man, whose eyes never leave the Twitch stream on his phone, reaches over and gives him a handful of fries, which he plops into his mouth as he sits across his friend.

“Isn’t it a Skyping night tonight?” Chanyeol says after a while. “It’s the fourth Thursday of the month.”

Baekhyun munches on his food and shakes his head sadly. “No, he has a paper due on Saturday and three summaries due tomorrow. We postponed it to Sunday next week if he can finish this one group paper early.”

To this, Chanyeol puts his phone down and faces Baekhyun. “I’m sorry, B,” he says.

Baekhyun just shrugs and continues shoving food onto his mouth. He’s used to it now.

“You know, you guys are so brave,” Chanyeol begins again, after a while. “I know you’ve been in love with Kyungsoo since forever, but still, it’s hard to maintain a long-distance relationship.”

“Yeah.”

“How do you do it?”

Baekhyun tries to open his mouth, but closes it again. He actually does not know how to answer this question. It’s so difficult, waking up alone, and reaching out to his bedside, only to find empty space. It’s hard to have a shitty day at school, with his peer group giving him a hard time, and the only person he wants to talk to is thousands of miles away. It’s hard when the thoughts of how his life is going crawls into him, giving him doubts on what his life’s direction is, and Kyungsoo isn’t there to calm his fears down. 

Life without Do Kyungsoo is hard.

But it’s precisely that fact that one day, Kyungsoo will return, the fact that these lonely nights are temporary, are what makes every single day without him worth it.

“Kyungsoo, he…” He tries to start. “He’s just worth the wait.”

Chanyeol nods at his answer, seemingly satisfied. When the taller boy grabs his apron and ties it on, he gives Baekhyun a pat in the shoulder. “He must be just as excited to see you, I’m sure. Now, don’t lose hope, Baek. Kyungsoo wouldn’t want you feeling down.” he says, before returning to his post.

Baekhyun nods, taking each word to heart.

Three quick raps on the staff room door takes Baekhyun’s attention, not too long afterward. It’s Yixing, and he has an enormous smile on his face.

 _What now,_ Baekhyun asks.

“Hey, I hope you had enough rest. The 10:00 reservation’s here and they personally want to meet the person responsible for the noodles.”

“Huh?” Baekhyun blinks, confused. “Don’t you mean they want to meet Minseok? I mean, he’s the one who put the dish together, I just gave him strips of flour.”

Yixing shakes his head and steps into the room, only to tug on Baekhyun’s arm and drag him out. “Take off your hairnet and make sure you look nice,” Yixing says as they pass through rows of pots and pans.

“Wait, isn’t it a hygiene hazard if I-”

“Stop arguing and just do what I say, Baek.”

Baekhyun hesitantly removes his hairnet, running his fingers onto his brown locks in an attempt to tame his hair. He eyes Yixing unsurely as they pass through the kitchen, and he glances longingly at his noodle-making corner, only to be tugged away by his boss. They even meet Minseok by the kitchen counter, who’s in the middle of mincing garlic, giving both of them a toothy grin.

 “Go get ‘im, Baekhyun,” Minseok cheers, waving his knife happily.

“Wait, what?” Baekhyun gapes, nervously glancing at his boss as he gets pushed out off the cashier and into the dining hall.  He does a half-spin, dizzy from all that dragging and pulling, when his eyes finally focus on the only occupied table in the entire restaurant.

There’s a big blue bowl on the table, which Baekhyun notices first. He lets his eyes travel to the customer behind it, and his breath hitches. There, on the very back corner, sits a man in a crisp white button down, eyes locked with Baekhyun’s. The man’s lips turn upward at the sight of Baekhyun, turning from a small pink crescent to a full-blooming heart, just as he remembers it.

“Hello, angel.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know how his legs remember to function but he walks to him, messy hair and flour-stained apron be damned. He almost sprints into Kyungsoo’s arms, releasing a loud sob he didn’t know was lodged in his throat when the other man readily catches him. He inhales Kyungsoo’s scent, taking in the familiar whiff of peaches from his shampoo, to the cheap cologne that he likes to wear so much because Baekhyun bought it for him when they first started going out. Baekhyun sags in relief when Kyungsoo’s arms wrap around him, because finally, he’s home.

They just stand for a while, locked in embrace, in the middle of the hall. Baekhyun doesn’t care. He only whispers “you’re home” to his fiancé repeatedly. He can’t believe Kyungsoo’s right in front him once more. Their last meeting seemed like an eternity ago, and yet he still knows every bit of Kyungsoo like it was yesterday.

“I’m glad you finally met our 10:00 PM reservation,” Yixing pipes from behind the counter, gaining both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s attention. They’re still in each other’s arms, now both sitting down on the long couch, with Baekhyun’s head buried in the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck.

“I hate you all,” Baekhyun weakly groans, sniffling and nosing at his fiancé’s neck when he sees Chanyeol and Minseok’s wide grins from behind his boss.

“Even me?” Kyungsoo whispers, pressing a soft kiss on Baekhyun’s temple.

Baekhyun looks up to meet his eyes, the pout on his lips softening to a small smile. There’s no way in hell he can hate Do Kyungsoo.

“Yes,” he says, and he knows his warm tone gives him away.

“I’ll have to make you like me again, then,” Kyungsoo says, without missing a beat. This time, he picks out an envelope from his pocket and hands it to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrow for a moment. He doesn’t exactly like seeing envelopes when he’s with Kyungsoo, especially since the last one cost him eight months of loneliness.

“Go on, Baekhyunnie. Don’t be afraid,” Kyungsoo says, guiding Baekhyun’s hand to take the white paper.

Baekhyun slowly tears the envelope’s top apart, and for the second time that night, his breath hitches, causing him to hiccup in shock.

Two airplane tickets to London. The date is two months away.

He looks to Kyungsoo, lost and trembling. He doesn’t understand.

“What…what does this mean, Soo?”

Kyungsoo smiles warmly at him, reaching over to wipe the tears that stream down his face. Baekhyun finds himself being kissed again and again, each time sweeter than the one before.

“This means I refuse to live without you for another day. I worked part time from my first semester, Baek. I had to save up for an apartment for two, for a ticket, for your exchange student program, and for the fee you need to pay for us to fix your VISA.”

“I…you’re taking me with you?” Baekhyun whimpers, his grip on Kyungsoo’s shirt tightening as the meaning of the two strips of paper start to settle onto him. “What about being busy? Y-you need to study so much. Won’t I just be a bother to you?”

Kyungsoo intertwines their fingers together, bringing Baekhyun’s knuckles to his lips and kissing it tenderly.

“You’re never a bother, Byun Baekhyun. In fact, I think you make me better. Being with you is my best state, so I would never allow myself to be away from you again.”

“We’re going to be together,” Baekhyun whispers to himself, bringing the envelope to his chest.

“Just where we belong,” Kyungsoo smiles.

 

People ask Byun Baekhyun a lot of things. They ask him why he decided to be an exchange student on his last year of college, or what he does in London when he’s bored. People ask what his favorite spots in U.K. are, and how he feels about the rainy weather. People ask him about his fiancé and how they manage to live in a strange land, far from home and every comfort they know.

Good thing Baekhyun loves to tell his and Kyungsoo’s story so much that he never gets tired of saying he’s at home whenever he’s with Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo never gets tired of listening to him ramble about it for hours on end.

_Fin._

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I realized this was unbeta-ed.
> 
> I wrote this for someone important to me a few months ago (In the autumn, if you couldn't tell). She's my only fan, I think. (J, If you're reading this, then thank you for being with me since 2014, kiddo.) I accidentally re-opened it because it was named "akhfkj" and I thought it belonged here. Consider it a belated #kyungsooday gift from your neighborhood trashy baeksoo-ist. 
> 
> I know I owe an old twitter friend a Hanahaki!AU and I'll probably deliver it within the year. :) You know who you are. Sorry for the wait.


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